M/M Romance Short Story Reviews

Introducing Heidi Belleau

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town NB, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write. She has a degree in History from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centred on popular culture, oral folklore, and sexuality, but she was known to perplex her professors with unironic papers on the historical roots of modern romance novel tropes. (Ask her about Highlanders!) When not writing, you might catch her trying to explain British television to her newborn daughter or standing in line at the local coffee shop, waiting on her caramel macchiato.

Welcome to the blog Heidi. They have coffee shops in the hinterland? LOL I kid, I kid. On with the questions.

1. If someone was coming to the Canada on vacation, tell them one place they MUST visit (can be as large as the Rocky Mountains, or as specific as a unique museum)?

Elk that wander through the campground to visit the tourists in Jasper.

You’ve gotta drive through the Rockies! I’ve gone through many times on my way to and from Vancouver or visiting my grandparents in the Okanagan, and it’s always a beautiful, scenic trip, with lots of wildlife and breathtaking mountains. I’d really like to go through sometime and take a night in a cabin or campground in Jasper, which is a beautiful little town right smack in the middle. Just stunning!

2. Can you ice skate? Do you understand the rules of hockey and have a favourite team? (please don’t be the Maple Leafs)

Yes, I can, but not terribly well! I have a hockey player cousin who used to love skating circles around me. Basically, my skills are limited to: moving forward at a leisurely pace, and coasting to a stop by skating in slow circles. As for hockey, it remains a mystery to me. And when it comes to team allegiances, my father’s a Leafs fan, my grandfather’s a Canucks fan, my brother’s a Flames fan, my roommates an Oilers fan, and being in the middle of all that I try not to pick sides!

3. Do you think there is a quintessential Canadian food? What would you serve guests who demand some real Canadian food?

My mother’s split pea soup. I’m French Canadian (thus, Belleau!), and there’s really nothing quite so hearty and comforting and full of love.

4. How many provinces/territories have you visited? Have you ever been to the arctic?

I live in BC and was born in New Brunswick, and we drove from there to here. So I’ve been to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI (where I took summer vacations as a kid), Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC. On our trip we skipped Manitoba by driving through the States for a bit, and Newfoundland was out of the way, so we didn’t get to either of those, or any of the territories. HOWEVER! I really want to take a vacation to Newfoundland (HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR TOURISM COMMERCIALS? OMG so beautiful and I must go there!), and I live in the sub-arctic (get a Northern living allowance and everything!) So yeah. I am a pretty well-travelled Canuck!

5. What was your first published story?

The Saturnalia Effect, which was published by Storm Moon Press last year for their line of Christmas stories. It’s a Christmas-in-prison story with a sizzling D/s relationship between inmates and a paranormal twist, and what’s more, it’s getting an awesome extended re-release this December complete with all-new content, so keep an eye out!

6. Have you ever written a story set in Canada? Which one?

Technically Bookended is set in Canada, but because it’s such a contained story, you don’t really get a sense of its Canadian…ness. I’ve also trunked (but may eventually revive!) a story about rig workers in Northern Alberta, because I think exploring homosexuality in that hyper-macho context should be really interesting and fun. Also, it’s my home turf! (Sort of!)

They were so cute, shame about the break-up.

7. Who is your favourite Canadian actor or actress?

Actor? Ryan Reynolds, who is a bucket of smarmy charm and uh… abs. Actress? Rachel McAdams, who seems to sparkle on screen and plays one hell of a romantic lead, even in movies that otherwise kinda suck (Time Traveller’s Wife, I’m looking at you!)

8. Who is your favourite Canadian musical artist?

Mother Mother! They’re an awesome Indie Rock band from Vancouver and I loooove them.

9. If you could be a Canadian animal shifter, what would you be?

Um…? I guess a raven? Oh but then I’d be eating road kill and garbage. Really I wouldn’t want to be any kind of animal. I hate the wilderness in general, and I like my house cats, but that’s about my limit on the animals front.

10. Winter – yay or nay? Discuss. 🙂

NAYYY. People who say “yay” to winter are people who have never had the profound joy of a place where it is winter for 8 months straight, it snows in June, and -50 is a regular occurrence. NAY. NAAYYYYY.

11. What’s the best thing about being Canadian?

Living in a country with so many social liberties and that values things like universal healthcare. Living in a country where a man like Jack Layton achieved the success that he did, even if he was taken from us too early. :waves tiny socialist flag:

Jack Layton 1950-2011 – Leader of the Opposition (NDP)

Thanks so much for joining us Heidi. You can find Heidi on the web at any of the links below.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Rockies, but we are leaving tomorrow for Vancouver then driving to Calgary. I’m looking forward to the drive through Banff and I hope my daughter and I see some wildlife. We won’t make it to Jasper but I love Banff.